24 business-etiquette rules every professional should know – Part 02

5) Only say ‘thank you’ once or twice during a conversation.

“You need to say it only once or twice within a conversation,” Pachter writes. “Otherwise, you may dilute its impact and possibly make yourself seem somewhat helpless and needy.”

6) Send separate thank-you notes to everyone involved.

You should send thank-you notes within 24 hours, and you should send separate notes to everyone you want to thank.

“Before you choose between email and handwritten notes, consider that regular mail may take several days to get to its destination while email arrives almost immediately,” Pachter writes. “This time difference can be important after a job interview, if the hiring decision is being made quickly.”

7) Leave your phone in your pocket.

Everyone brings their phone everywhere they go today — but you should avoid taking it out during meetings.

You might be tempted to text or email, but no matter how sly you try to be, it’s noticeable and rude.

Also, don’t place your phone on the table when meeting with someone. You are telling that person that you are so ready to drop him or her and connect with someone else.

8)Use professional head shots.

Always post professionally appropriate photographs on LinkedIn and your other professional sites, she suggests. “You want to look like a credible, approachable person — not like you just came from the beach,” Pachter tells Business Insider. Use a head shot that highlights your head and face and part of your chest and shoulders. “You are the focus of the picture.”